BOM webinar unpacks State of the Climate
On Wednesday 9 December, the Bureau of Meteorology hosted a webinar to unpack the recently released State of the Climate Report, with presentations from Dr. Lynette Bettio, Senior Climatologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, and Dr Michael Grose, Senior Research Scientist at CSIRO.
The new State of the Climate Report draws on the latest monitoring, science and projection information to describe long-term changes in Australia's climate.
The webinar highlighted that we are experiencing climate change now, and that the impacts are already being felt by communities and industry.
The report details that Australia is experiencing a warming trend, increasing extreme heat and extreme fire weather. Since 1910, when national records began, Australia’s climate has warmed on average by 1.44°C. In 1960-1989 ‘really warm’ months were experienced 2% of the time, now we experiencing these warmer months 12% of the time.
Projections from the State of the Climate Report:
- Global temperature will continue to rise
- Sea level will continue to rise
- Marine heatwaves to be more frequent and intense
- Warmer temperatures with more heatwaves and fewer cool days
- Fewer tropical cyclones but more high-intensity storms
- Cool season rainfall to decline in southern and eastern Australia
- Heavy rainfall to become more intense
- Longer fire seasons and more dangerous fire weather
These changes to the climate will affect all Australians. In addition to climate monitoring and projections, the State of the Climate Report also provides information to plan for and adapt to climate change now and into the future.